In 1848 Queen Victoria and her Consort, Prince Albert, were invited to visit the new Lochnagar Distillery on Deeside, deep in the Scottish Highlands, to taste its Single Malt Whisky. They were so impressed with what they experienced that shortly afterwards they bestowed the Royal name upon the distillery and it became known as ‘Royal Lochnagar.’ Since then, following Queen Victoria’s lead, the distillery has received regular Royal visits from Kings, Queens and Princes during their summer stays at Balmoral, the Royal Estate, which neighbours the distillery. One of Scotland’s smallest distilleries, Royal Lochnagar has been rebuilt three times since it was founded in 1845. Despite having been rebuilt, it retains the same style of the original site (with two pagoda kiln heads) and some of the original surrounding farm buildings are still in use today. Royal Lochnagar draws its pure spring water from the lower slopes of ‘Dark Lochnagar,’ the imposing peak that dominates the horizon to the south of the distillery. The valleys below are a patchwork of woodland and fields where the finest crops are grown. Crafted in just two small stills, its Single Malt Whisky has a distinctive Highland profile. The distillery has some historic and unusual equipment that contributes to the character of the whisky including a traditional open mash tun, a small gleaming steam-heated copper stills and traditional worm tubs. Limited quantities of whisky are produced each year, which make Royal Lochnagar one of Scotland’s rarest Single Malt Whiskies.